Most Common Document Errors

The following are the most common reasons for a document to be returned for corrections:

Notary Acknowledgment errors: The venue commonly appears above the notary acknowledgment statement and signatures. This is the county and state where the document was executed. The county and state in the venue must match the county and state in which the notary is "acting in." The names printed beneath the signatures must match the names printed in the notary acknowledgment exactly. An individual signing for a trust or company must have their name, title, and the company or trust's name at the signature line.

The majority of documents are required to include a complete legal description. This is the legal description found on a deed or survey. Not acceptable are: Tax legals, street address, or a parcel ID, which you would find on your tax bill or from the township/city/village.

Drafter's name and address must be on the document.

Documents with consideration (price) shall be subject to transfer tax unless appropriate exemptions are stated on the document or a Real Estate Transfer Tax Valuation Affidavit is filed. It cannot state "and other good and valuable consideration". MCL 207.505 Sec.5 & MCL 207.526 Sec.6